6 Overlooked Remedies For Low Back Pain
You've likely dealt with back pain at some point in your life.
You might even be dealing with right now.
You're not alone. Half of all working Americans report having back pain each year.
Those few days with pain can be excruciating, and the trip to the doctor is not always in the cards.
So, what is there to do? Do we suffer for a few days or are there other options?
Luckily, there are six options, and all can be done from the comfort of your home.
These can be done to combat the pain, and they can be done when you aren't having the pain to help prevent it.
Considering chiropractic care for your car accident back pain? Read our blog post: "Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Chiropractor."
Table Of Contents
- Release Your Inner Endorphins
- Sleep
- Core Workouts
- Heat and Ice Therapies
- Stretch Your Hamstrings
- Train Your Brain
- Contact A Chiropractor
1. Release Your Inner Endorphins
Endorphins are hormones that are made naturally in your body.
What most people don't know, or choose to not believe, is that endorphins can be just as strong as any pain medicine your doctor would prescribe you.
When your body releases endorphins, they block the pain signals from registering in your brain.
Endorphins also help with anxiety, stress, and depression, which are all associated with back pain and can make the pain worse.
There are a few ways you can release the endorphins. One way is to engage in aerobic exercises, like running, swimming, or a good 30-minute walk.
Massage therapy is also an excellent way to release endorphins. So if you've ever needed a good reason to get a massage, now you have one!
Meditation will also release endorphins and provides several other health benefits back by science.
2. Sleep
Getting enough sleep is an issue for many people, especially in the western world.
Between our careers, families, friends, and hobbies, we try to fit an impossible amount of activities into each day.
The first thing we sacrifice is sleep.
If you suffer from back pain, it could be even worse because pain is the leading cause of insomnia.
About two-thirds of chronic back pain sufferers have a sleeping disorder.
To make things even worse, if you aren't getting adequate sleep your back pain can get even worse.
If you're trying to fit too much into your day, you need to cut something out, so you get adequate sleep.
If you have a sleeping disorder, it should be addressed right away.
Your pain is unlikely to go away until your body gets the sleep it needs.
3. Core Workouts
You don't need washboard abs, but it is recommended to have a more consistent core workout.
The muscles in your abs play a significant role in supporting your lower spine.
Your core doesn't get a good workout during the course of a typical day, so they need to be targeted during exercise.
There are countless ways you can work out your core in less than 20-30 minutes a day.
You can do a few core exercises that take less than ten minutes.
The point is to make an effort to exercise your core so it can adequately support your back.
4. Heat and Ice Therapies
Don't underestimate the power of throwing an ice pack or heat pad on your back to curb the pain and speed up the healing process.
Ice Therapy Benefits:
- Reduces inflammation.
- Acts as a local anesthetic by slowing down nerve impulses, keeping the nerves from spasming and causing pain.
Using cold therapy can be as simple as throwing a frozen bag of peas on the affected area of your back.
Just be sure not to put ice directly on your skin, because that could cause nerve damage.
Be sure to wrap the ice in a towel or cloth.
Heat Therapy Benefits:
- Stimulates blood flow, bringing healing nutrients to the affected area.
- Keeps the pain messages from being sent to the brain.
Heat therapy includes anything from a hot bath or shower, a soak in a hot tub, or a heat wrap.
It's best to experiment with everything until you find what works best for you.
5. Stretch Your Hamstrings
One contributor to back pain that is often overlooked is your hamstrings.
If your hamstrings (located in the back of your thighs) are tight, your lower back will be stressed, causing more pain.
You need to stretch your hamstrings twice a day − , however, exercise caution as you do so!
The last thing you want to do is add a hamstring injury to go along with your back pain.
Not to worry, there are several gentle stretches you can do that shouldn't hurt.
6. Train Your Brain
Like the aforementioned endorphins at-home remedy, this train your brain one is a little hard for some people to get on board with.
Pain specialists have known for a while that pain isn't black and white. It's more complicated than just a sensation.
The way your brain processes the pain signals from your body plays a huge role in how your body responds to pain.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to train your brain to reduce or even ignore the pain signals.
Activities such as meditation and yoga often help.
Becoming an expert in this area will give you some control over your pain.
BONUS: Contact A Chiropractor
Chiropractic care has been proven to be very successful in dealing with back pain.
Chiropractors use spinal manipulation to achieve proper alignment of the body's musculoskeletal structure.
The proper alignment of the spine alleviates the pain and helps with several other ailments, like headaches and blood pressure issues.
Adding in chiropractic care, along with the other six at-home remedies, is an excellent way to reduce your back pain and keep it from coming back.
If you'd like to speak to an Experienced Chiropractor about your pain, click the button below to get started.